Cleaning-rod for firearms



R. G. HALL AND A. BIRKHOLM.

CLEANING HOD FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED m-:c.15, 19H).

Lgfigaga PatentedAug- 9,1921.

UNHTIEEE' s rarssf rarest ethics,

ROSWELL G. HALL, OF DORCI-IESTER, AND AXEL BIRKHOLIVL OE BOSTON, MASSA- CHUSETTS,

CLEANING-ROD FOR -FIREARMS.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that ROSWELL G; HALL and AXEL BIRKHOLM, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Dorchester, county of Suffolk, and Boston, county of Suffolk, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning-Rods for Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gun cleaners orsimilar articles on which a patch, rag or other cleaning fabric is placed for the purposes of running it through a restricted passage such as the bore of a rifle. 7

Our invention therefore is capable of a very wide application and use but for the purposes of the present application we shall limit our discussion of it to its applicability and utility in cleaning rods for firearms as that use so well illustrates the principles involved as. to afford ample guidance for its adoption in other usages. I

The cleaning of the bore of small arm is obviously a matter of prime importance. For this purpose the most convenient and generally satisfactory method has been to thrust through the bore a patch or small square of fabric in the various steps offcleaning, polishing and oiling.

In practice, the patch is placed over the end of a cleaning. rod or through an eye at the end of the rod. It is of course highly important that the patch when. inserted into the bore on the rod make a snug fit in 'the bore so as to be forced into the angles of the lands and grooves and generally exert a very considerable degree of friction in its passage back, and forth through the barrel in order to remove allfouling.

/Vhile this method is of a simplenature, it is attended by certain well known possibilities of mishap even in the hands of trained men. It is not always possible to have patches of exactly the rightsize for the caliber of the p'iece'to be cleaned, and

there is also considerable variation in the diameter of the cleaning rods;- ordinarily available. Furthermore, even if the'patches are carefully cut to size for a givenbaliber of cleaning rod,'theelement of the thickness of the patch and the degree of symmetry in the placing of the patch on theend of rod, are factors which go to make up variations in the tightness of the fitof the cleaner in the bore. '1'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 12 9231.

Application filed December 15, 1919. .Serial No. 345,011.

The result of all this are apparently unavoidable instances in which the patch after being entered in the bore is found to be entirely too tight and to require an undue thrust from the end of the rod. This has the immediate tendency to punch a hole through the fabric allowing the rod to pass through the patch. TVhen this occurs a very annoying situation is almost certain to fol low, as the patch freed from the rod then becomes jammed and the more pressure it is subjected tothe worse the jam becomes.

In an effort to relieve the pressure at the end of the rod it has been customary for generations to groove the rod adjacent the head in order to get a grip on the patch along the sides of the rod. Such groovings have afiorded some help, but it has never been sufficient to overcome the difficulties hereinbefore recited. The difficulty now appears to have been due to the fact that such groovings either would not give awel] de fined radial face or if given such face of 'fered such faces 1n only one direction so that upon reversal of the motion of the rod the. patch was left free. Furthermore, it is to be noted that any groove out about the cleaning rod has a tendency to weaken it with a risk of breaking off the end of the rod under some sudden strain;

By our invention we have overcome all of the above difficulties and through a perfectly simple treatment of the end of the rod have provided a gripping surface which engages the patch laterally in both direc tions of longitudinal movement with a maximum gripping effect and with a minimum of weakening of the end of. the rod. This we accomplish in short by an alternation and reversal in a series of notches, the prin Figs. III, IV and V are cross sections,

and Fig. VI is an end. view.

TV e have indicated in the drawings merely the end portionof a cleaning rod 1. I The. remainder of the rod-may be of any con-- ventional form.. Usually a rounded or. cy-

weakenin in the cross section of the rod on.

lindrical rod is used which for smaller calibers ofrifle bores is of compositionbrass of sufficiently small diameter to fit. freely Within the bore with a slight amount of clearance on all sides. 7 e j We prepare the end of such a rod by first reducing-it adjacent to the extreme end to.

afform angular in cross section. In the instance shown, the rod is squared leaving a short cylindrical knob 10 at the extreme tipof the rod.yIn forming this'squared portion we therefore obtain four longitudinally disposed edges, 2, 8, 4, and 5' of ninety degree angle. The squared portion preferably tapers slightly forward so that face a, 'inclining to said longitudinal axis at a convenient angle. r

' In the form shown, each one'of these faces Will be triangular. The apeir of the face a will be pointed outwardly and in conjunc tion with the apex angle of the'face Z) of the next succeeding notch defining an intermediate tooth T.

The .notching of the edges 2, 3 tQand-t is reversed alternately'so that the notches on the edges 2and 4 are faced in one direction and the notches in the edges 3 and 5 I are faced in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the notches of the alternate edges are staggered so that th'e' notches on the g edges 2 and f and those" formed on the edges 3 and. 5 come relatively intermediate of each other. This prevents a continuous b V any given transverse planeq.

Whenviewed on the angle as appears in Fig. I, it will be seen that the rod has a zigzag face of substantial'area running its entire length. When viewed on the angle as appears in Fig. II, a continuous series of serrations appear. By reference to the de-.

velopment shown in Fig. III, it'will'be seen that these serrations alternate in their disposition in adjacent rows so that'in progressing around alternate rows of teeth are encountered in successive reversals of dispositiOH.

While we have described. the specific form shown in'considerable detail, it is not to be understood as in anyway limiting ourselves either ,to the number of longitudinal faces j and angles formed or in the number or nature of the notches cut, nor in the'charac- 'terorrshape of the teeth formed between it .suchfnotches.'- It Willbe understood that-a 'great' variety of facetings may be secured V by changing the'number of longitudinal isticl in the results obtained. jacent the end of the rod Wlll be found to have a high degree of gripping act on on facings and the shape and number of the notches.

-The form shown, "however, is cha r acter- The area adtheinclosing patch between it and .thewall of the'bore. In thefirst place the patch is held byplural longitudinal facings. Second, the patch is engaged by facets disposed inboth directions-ofrotative tendency, and" third,ldue to the inclination of longitudinal I facin s a radial "ii 3' is effected throu h I the lodging of the' folds of the patchbaclr 'of the'cylindrical head 1O. a

. The rod may be given various additional features, some of -vvhich although well; known in cleaning rods have advantageous.

combination with the engaging surface here'- inbefore described. It may benoted that the rod may be adapted for any given arm by facing off the gripping sectionso as to give a-number of longitudinal-corners or ridges corresponding to. the number of lands l in the particular bore: Furthermoreff'by proportioning rand spacingthe teeth and arranging the staggi er inalternate rows,fthe teeth may be broughtlIltOSPlXEtl rows corresponding to the pitch of the rifling in, the:

specific piece. I V y Modlfiea'tlons'such as ,above'suggested, as Well asmany others whlch would naturally occur in meeting modified requirements I or circumstances of use, may all be freely re sorted to as1within'the purview of our invention if within the limits of theiappen'ded I;

claims.

" What 'we therefore claim and d esi re "to secure by Letters Patentisp 1. A' cleaning rod of 11 class described opposite: faces disposed in planes converging in one direction and having oppositely i disposed notches cut in the longitudinal edges thereof. 7 I j' j 1 2. A cleaning rod of the class'described,

having an end portion ofreetangular'jcross section defined on two sides bya pair of oppos te faces disposed 1n planes converge-V ing 1n one direction and having oppositely disposed notches cut in the longitudinal edges thereof, and on two other sides pair of opposite faces disposed in planes converging in the opposite direction and having oppositely disposed notches cut in the longitudinal edges thereof.

In testimony whereof we affiX' our sig-ei' natures in presenceof twowitnesses. I I ROSWELL e; eI-IALL. v p i AXEL Witnesses; 1 i i I Vro'roRrA LoWnE I j MARION F. WEISS. I y

its

an end portion of rectangular cross, section defined on two sides by a pair, of 

